


Old Friends

by boxofhatebrains



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Developing Friendships, Gen, I'm Sorry, Regret
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29644524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boxofhatebrains/pseuds/boxofhatebrains
Summary: Yut-Lung and Eiji meet again, after everything...
Kudos: 11





	Old Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for the ending of BF

Their words of greeting were clumsy and brief. It had been a few years since Ash had died, since they had seen each other face-to-face. However, both still hadn’t expected meeting again so soon. 

Eiji held his hand out, shaking slightly. A gesture of peace between them; no hard feelings, all forgiven. There was a tight smile on his face. Yut-Lung wasn’t sure if he could accept it - he didn’t feel like he even should. It wasn’t out of pride, but respect for Ash. He deserved to be hated by Eiji, maybe even needed to be hated by Eiji, for his own sake. Yut-Lung understood how hatred could be a means of existence, of survival. But he felt a light nudge to his back.

He didn’t look back at Sing, but slowly held his own hand out. Their palms met, Eiji’s slightly sweaty. It was fast and stiff, but Yut-Lung felt his chest ease, just a little.

“It’s been a while,” Eiji said, for lack of something to say.

“Yes,” the other boy sighed, searched for words and found them all meaningless.

“Is this okay? Me here? Should I go?” Eiji asked without malice after a minute of silence.

Sing was about to speak up, but Yut-Lung held his hand up to silence him, and carefully answered, “You’re…welcome here. Do you…Would you like something to drink? Perhaps eat?”

“No, I’m fine,” Eiji replied and, as an afterthought, added, “Thanks.”

The breath caught in Yut-Lung’s chest as it tightened again. This wasn’t right. None of this was right. He had a hand in everything that had happened, had tried to kill Eiji and corrupt Ash, and here was the boy he tried to destroy now, a guest – _a polite guest_ \- in his home. Eiji was making all the steps, was forgiving him without question, and it wasn’t **_right_**.

But he didn’t know how to apologize, never had to before, never felt compelled to…

“How are you?” Eiji courteously asked.

“Fine,” he curtly replied, but didn’t mean it out of spite, “Things are picking up. Chinatown is getting better, more powerful.”

“Oh,” Eiji looked disappointed and replied quietly, “More about gangs…I meant how are _you_?”

How was he? Good, great, in fact. He was rid of his brothers, he had everything he ever wanted, he had a friend…and this made him feel worse. He had won the game, he was the victor, but it felt all futile in this moment. It had been at Eiji’s cost. And for some reason, that mattered.

He felt Sing’s hand on his back, warm and strong. He turned to Sing this time, who had a small smile on his face. His hand remained on Yut-Lung’s back, and he rested his other hand on Eiji’s shoulder, quietly smiling to him, too.

“We’re all okay, right?” he said to both of them, holding them both, connecting them.

And suddenly the words came. They were painful and sharp, pushing out of his mouth, but they were there and honest.

“I’m sorry.”

Eiji’s forced smile became limp, but still clung desperately onto his face as he calmly answered, “I know.”


End file.
